You’ve probably noticed that when it comes to beer, Albuquerque is becoming a player on the national craft beer scene. We have a strong tradition of top notch breweries and the awards keep rolling in. From making TOP Beer City lists to raking in medals at this year’s Great American Brew Fest, Albuquerque breweries are putting the Duke City on the map. I say this is a cause for celebration and there’s no better way to do it than to lift a glass with your friends on the most celebratory evening of the year.

If you’re like me these days, craft beer is the way to go for any well intentioned celebration. Here’s the liquid breakdown of my suggestions for a successful New Year’s Eve.

9p.m.

You’re probably starting to think about your game plan for the night. Maybe you’ll hit a couple spots or camp out at one of the casino or hotel parties. May I suggest Nob Hill? At this pensive moment, it’s best to keep it mellow and start off with something crisp and invigorating. La Cumbre’s BEER is a good choice here. At 4.7% ABV and 23 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) this is the perfect beer to drink while you iron your bow tie or pencil on your eye brows. It sets the stage for the night. It’s approachable and well made, the perfect aperitif.

10p.m.

Now you’re out the door and ready to grab a bite to the set the foundation for the night. I suggest stopping by Bosque Brewing Company’s Nob Hill Public House if you’re going for something informal. The menu is great but you’re really here for the beer. If you’re in the mood for something more hop forward, try Bosque IPA (6.5% ABV, 90 IBU). Tropical and citrus hop character are the stars of the show.

In the mood for something more exotic? You’ve probably seen one of your friends wearing a t shirt with a pink saddled, bucking elephant and wondered what the hell it was? Well, that’s Elephants on Parade (5.5% ABV, 12 IBU) and it would be a great choice here as well. EOP is basically a beer fruit smoothie. Cranberry, cherry and raspberry add its distinctive pink hue.

11p.m.

Now it’s time to take it up a notch. Take in the NYE sites and walk on down to Matanza Beer Kitchen. Matanza has a massive selection of local craft beers, but we’re only after the best. I would suggest we switch gears and go dark here. Sierra Blanca’s Whiskey Stout (11% ABV, 20 IBU) is a good choice. Deep, rich and complex bourbon notes intermingle with cherry and oak for a great beer that satisfies the senses. You might want to get an appetizer here too, you’ll be glad you did.

11:45p.m.

Find a clock somewhere and start staring. At his point, you can also try to read Kathy Griffin’s lips and imagine what she is saying that is making Anderson Cooper demonstrate every facial expression known to man. You should be finished with your last beer by now and preparing for the beer you’ll have in your hands at the stroke of midnight. Who knows where you are at this point, but if you can find it, you want to order something effervescent and dry. We’re thinking champagne here. A saison or Belgian Golden Strong Ale is a good choice if you can find one. I’d make some suggestions here, but the idea is for you to spread your wings and fly now. It’s going to be 2017 in a couple minutes after all, shouldn’t this be the year that you resolve to know more about beer than all your friends?

11:59:50p.m.

Start your count down from 10. The idea is to scream louder and more obnoxiously than anyone in your vicinity. Made it to midnight? Great, give your sweetheart a smooch, down the last of that beer you ordered 15 minutes ago and hum along to Auld Lang Syne like it’s nobody’s business.

12:09a.m. January 1, 2017

Order an Uber and start contemplating what your life will be like in 2017. Resolve to learn more about beer, to contribute to your community or hit those personal goals you’ve been putting off.

Now, enough with the self-reflection, you have to get to bed. After all, you have a brewery yoga session to attend in the morning.

Angelo Orona is the president and owner of Craft King Consulting LLC, a craft beer consultancy. He is an avid craft beer enthusiast and Certified Cicerone®.

Friends are often the most treasured relationships we keep in our lifetime. Our best discoveries and endeavors sometimes are built on late nights, crazy ideas, good friends and maybe even a nice bottle of tequila. Casamigos Tequila, as a brand, is no different. Famed actor George Clooney and his friend, restaurateur Randy Gerber (also Cindy Crawford‘s husband), have been tasting tequilas at distilleries located throughout Jalisco, Mexico for years. About 80% of all blue agave is grown in Jalisco, and almost all tequila distilleries are located in the state.The two never found a flavor profile they liked, so they decided to create their own. They searched for a distiller that could concoct the exact flavor they liked, subsequently they started distilling Casamigos Tequila. Named after their Mexican residences, the two enjoyed their truly “house” tequila for nearly half a decade by themselves and with their amigos without releasing it to the public for sale.

After years of generosity and many margaritas, they are packaging over 1,000 bottles a year and needed to make a decision. Either fewer bottles of tequila or begin licensing and producing Casamigos on a larger scale. Over a few shots of Casamigos Reposado, they decided to produce their own agave juice for the world to enjoy.

All in all, it was one of the best gatherings of friends in the history of this great city, I can assure you of that. Those that didn’t have designated drivers to go home woke up to the smell of huevos rancheros and very strong coffee.

My last words of wisdom are this: always enjoy your Casamigos with good friends and drink responsibly, Albuquerque!

In honor of Casamigos and the spirit of friendship, I decided to have a few friends of mine over for some cocktails, fantastic food and even more interesting conversation. As my guests walked in, they were handed a nice aperitif cocktail (an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite) made from Casamigos Blanco, a floral fortified wine, orange bitters and a touch of an acai berry liqueur. With the bitterness of this cocktail, it is meant to push your salivary glands into overdrive and increase your appetite.

The second cocktail came just before some nice fruits, cheeses, a variety of salsas and chips that were put out for everyone (and possibly before a couple of shots were taken). For this cocktail, I blended Casamigos Reposado with some perfectly ripened strawberries, the herby sweetness of basil and finally the great tart flavor of a quality pomegranate liqueur.

We dined on great steak and fish tacos prepared by our great friend and Chef Mr. P.D. Welker and his nephew Chach. We opened a few different bottles of wine to enjoy with our entrees, talk amongst ourselves and tried to solve all the world’s problems. All this before dessert!

When dessert was served I prepared everybody with a nice digestive cocktail containing Casamigos Anejo, fresh orange juice and one of my favorite amaros. This cocktail is designed to help digest your food after an exquisite meal.

ABQ-Live Mixologist stirs up something ‘naughty and nice’ for your New Year!

By Daniel Gonzales, ABQ-Live Mixologist

Photography by Kori Kobayashi

Without a doubt, my favorite day of celebration is New Year’s Eve. As long as I have been in the bar industry, it is easily the most joyous occasion for an entire gathering of people in any area.

On any normal night in a bar, there can be any gambit of emotions stretching from owner, to manager, to guest, and even the person behind the stick. However on New Year’s Eve, there is but one collective idea: “A new beginning.” Although, most people soon forget the promises they made on December 31st, for one night everyone feels renewed, recharged, baptized in the waters of hope and usually champagne.

2015, personally, will be the start of many new adventures, and Crown Royal Apple is one of the newest and most interesting spirits that I have run into this year. Here are some of the different cocktail ideas I have come up with using this delicious whiskey.

The first beverage I have created for this New Year is one that will warm your taste buds and your heart as the lovely liquid finds its way to your tummy and fuddles your mind. The A.C. Toddy will give you all you need to start your evening.

The next drink that I developed was something I wanted to try, combining some “opposite” flavors that would make for something really refreshing and different for the winter months, while still using seasonal ingredients as well.

While visiting a good friend in Denver, I was introduced to a some products in Colorado that are not available (legally) in all fifty states, however, they do add a certain flavor to cocktails that is unmistakable and irreplaceable.

You cannot have a New Year’s celebration without some bubbles in your life, so I wanted to make a new twist on an old favorite of mine. I took a rose sparkling, added a pear liqueur to the fizz, dropped a cranberry bitter soaked sugar cube to the bottom, and long lime twist.

I wish everyone a safe and happy New Year, please enjoy your cocktails responsibly and may 2015 bring you happiness and joy Albuquerque!!

ABQ’S MIXOLOGIST DANIEL GONZALES STIRS UP A FEW COCKTAILS WITH MILK MONEY VODKA, A BRAND NEW PREMIUM VODKA ON THE SHELVES OF BARS AND STORES ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST

Do you recognize that smell? Oh yes, the air is getting cooler, the sun is setting earlier, and the green chile is roasting in the clean New Mexico air. For many of us, this is the most beautiful time to be in ABQ. I’m standing behind the bar at Vernon’s, and I can tell my guests are itching for something new, different, and interesting. Summertime libations are losing their appeal, while the popular winter drinks are not yet being ordered.

The first cocktail I created is a hybrid of the Summer and Autumn seasons, combining the depth of a dark tea and fall evenings, alongside the lingering brightness of a long summer night.

I took blueberries and raspberries and freshly brewed apple cinnamon tea, added some lemon juice, honey, Milk Money Vodka, and a grapefruit liqueur. I call it ‘The Cool Toddy’

Chocolate is always an acceptable flavor during the transition from fall into the colder months of the year.I decided to make a nice combination of a rich chocolate and toffee with a hint of mint and the density of cream to give this cocktail the weight of the falling mercury. I named it, ‘M.M.M.M.’

The air in New Mexico changes as you drive the roads around the cities, towns, and gorgeous villages dotted across the state. I created this particular cocktail with roasted red chile, fresh basil, cilantro, and lemon juice. I added limoncello and the Milk Money Vodka to complete this unique drink. I call it ‘The Poinsettia’.

The final drink I created for the rotation of the season, Paduano’s Pleasure was in honor of a great donor and a great cause. Earlier this month, the United Way and Milk Money Vodka contacted me to craft a cocktail worthy enough and based upon the particular tastes of the donor to this charity. Tony Paduano and I met and we discussed his likes and dislikes. In the end, we came up with a dark berry and herb cocktail with the signature Milk Money Vodka, a splash of pomegranate liqueur, lime juice, blueberries and a sprig of thyme to finish it off. A cocktail tailored for the gentleman who made a significant donation to a worthy cause.

ABQ-Live Mixologist splashes in some summertime cocktails for you to enjoy!

Summertime is the perfect time to have some refreshing cocktails with friends gathered around the pool or the grill, and there is nothing more satisfying than some beautiful rum cocktails. Bacardi rum can be found in pretty much every bar you go to, and the history of the company is a story of perseverance and intrigue that has driven tales of debauchery from Ernest Hemingway to Girls Gone Wild. One of my favorite stories is that of the Hemingway Daiquiri.

It is said that Ernest Hemingway was on his way to the bathroom in a famous bar in Cuba and saw the setting up a line of Bacardi daiquiris, Hemingway slowed down and grabbed one, he told the bartender to make the cocktail with twice the rum and no sugar. This creation may have been fine for the diabetic Papa Doble, but for the average bar guest, it would be a miserable experience. Eventually, the cocktail evolved into one that contained light rum, fresh lime and grapefruit juice, sugar, and a maraschino liqueur.

In honor of Hemingway’s original request, my first creation is a variation of the Hemingway Daiquiri, which I have named The Hemingway Marnier. Summertime is a time to relax and enjoy yourselves and your loved ones; I hope these cocktails help you do so. Please be safe and always drink with caution. Salud!

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